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Alfred Schutz’s Conception of Multiple Realities Sociologically Interpreted

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Schutzian Social Science

Part of the book series: Contributions to Phenomenology ((CTPH,volume 37))

Abstract

Schutz ’s conception of multiple realities is an essential part of his sociology of everyday life. Founded on an analysis of constitution-phenomena in inner-time consciousness within the phenomenologically reduced sphere, it not only escapes from the objections the sociology of everyday life faces within a philosophically naive position, but also extends and radicalizes the connotations of the key sociological concepts.

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Reference

  1. Alfred Schutz, Der sinnhafte Aufbau der sozialen Welt. Wien: Julius Springer, 1932, chap. 2. Hereafter, this work will be cited textually as “Aufbau.”

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  2. The author has discussed Schutz’s critique of Weber’s basic sociological concepts and his orientation toward their renewal in other paper, “Amplifying the `Sociological Aspects of Literature’ with the Concept of Social Relationship,” in Alfred Schutz’s “Sociological Aspect of Literature” Construction and Complementary Essays, ed. Lester Embree. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998, 129–148.

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  3. Max Weber, Gesammelt Aufsätze zur Wissenschaftslehre, 4 Aufl. Tübingen: J.C.B.Mohr, 1973, 393.

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  4. Alfred Schutz, Collected Papers,vol.2, ed. Arvid Brodersen. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1964, 5. Hereafter, this work will be cited textually as “CP2.”

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  5. Maurice Natanson, “Foreword,” in Alfred Schutz and Talcott Parsons, The Theory of Social Action,ed. Richard Grathoff. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978, xii.

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  6. Talcott Parsons, The Structure of Social Action. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1937, 41. 8Alfred Schutz and Talcott Parsons, The Theory of Social Action,ed. Richard Grathoff. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978, 76. Emphasis is the author’s. Hereafter, this work will be cited textually as “TSA.” The conception that a difference between commonsense and scientific knowledge consists in the degree of refinement is valid insofar as the same criterion can be applied to both cases. For example, the possibility of presentation in mathematical form, verificability or falsifiability are introduced from outside,and in reference to them the one is evaluated as more refined and the other as less refined. However, such evaluation is based on an assumption that these two forms of knowledge refer to objects of the same level.

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  7. Edmund Husserl, Cartesianische Meditationen and Pariser Vorträge, ed. S. Strasser, Husserliana, vol. 1. Den Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1963, 72.

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  8. Peter L. Berger, Brigitte Berger, and Hansfried Kellner, The Homeless Mind. New York: Penguin Books, 1973, 29. Hereafter, this work will be cited textually as “HM.”

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  9. Cf., Alfred Schutz, Reflections on the Problem of Relevance, ed. Richard M. Zaner. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1970, 144f., and also Alfred Schutz, Collected Papers, vol.4, ed. Helmut Wagner and George Psathas in collaboration with Fred Kersten. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1996, 68–69.

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  10. Alfred Schutz, Collected Papers,von, ed. Maurice Natanson. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1962, 232. Hereafter, this work will be cited textually as “CP1.”

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  11. Husserl, Cartesianische Meditationen,72.

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  12. Edmund Husserl, Ideen zur einer reinen Phänomenologie und phänomenologischen Philosophie, Erstes Buch, ed. K. Schumann, Husserliana, vol. III. Den Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1976, 120.

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  13. Alfred Schutz, “Husserl and His Influence on Me,” ed. Lester Embree, Annals of Phenomenological Sociology 2 (1977): 42.

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  14. Alfred Schutz and Aron Gurwitsch, Philosophers in Exile,ed. Richard Grathoff, trans. J. Claude Evans. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1989, 184. Hereafter, this work will cited textually as “PE.”

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  15. In his paper, “Phenomenological Analysis and its Contemporary Significance,” read at the annual meeting of the Society for Philosophy and Human Sciences at Georgetown University on October 1996, Professor Ilja Srubar clearly shows that a phenomenological analysis of society is “no longer limited to the micro area of everyday interaction.” Published as Ilja Srubar, “Phenomenological Analysis and its Contemporary Significance,” Human Studies 21 (1998): 121–139.

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  16. Alfred Schütz and Thomas Luckmann, Strukturen der Lebenswelt,vol. 2. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1984, 147–161. Hereafter, this work will be cited textually as “SLW.”

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  17. Cí, Alfred Schutz, Collected Papers,vol.3, ed. Ilse Schutz. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1966, 19. Hereafter, this work will be cited textually as “CP3.” See also Edmund Husserl, Ideen zur einer reinen Phänomenologie und phänomenologischen Philosophie,Erstes Buch, 10, n.l.

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  18. William James, The Principles of Psychology. New York: Dover Publications, 1918, vol. II, 293.

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  19. Cí, Husserl, Cartesinische Meditationen,73.

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  20. The term “methodology” must not be understood in the restricted sense as, for example, a technique of research. See TSA, p. 101–102, and also Lester Embree, “Methodology is Where Human Scientists and Philosophers Can Meet: Reflections on the Schutz-Parsons Exchange,” Human Studies,3, 1980, 367–373.

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  21. The author has discussed Schutz’s idea about the postulates for research and concept formation in the social sciences in his book, Genshogaku-teki Shakaigaku eno Michi [The Way to Phenomenological Sociology]. Tokyo: Kosei-sha Koseikaku, 1997, chap. 7, especially 189–201.

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  22. Cf., Talcott Parsons and Robert F. Bales, Family, Socialization and Interaction Process. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1956, 17, and also Talcott Parsons, Social Structure and Personality. New York: The Free Press, 1964, 130.

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  23. Cf., Matthew Speier, How to Observe Face-to-Face Communication. Pacific Palisades: Goodyear Publishing Company, 1973, 140f.

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  24. Max Weber, Gesammelte Aufsätze, 507.

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  25. Ralph Linton, The Cultural Background of Personality. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1947, 50.

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  26. Talcott Parsons, Structure and Process in Modern Societies. New York: The Free Press, 1960, 17.

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  27. The author has discussed why a new paradigm is needed, and what kind of paradigm is adequate for the research on organizations, especially social movement organization in other papers, “Shakai-undo-soshiki-ron Saiko no tameni” [For a Reconsideration of Social Movement Organization Theory], Shakai Kagaku Tokyu [The Social Sciences Review]. Tokyo: Institute of Social Sciences of Waseda University, 1989, vol. 102, 455–487, and “Shakai-undo-soshiki no aratana Gainen-ka wo mezashite” [Toward a New Conceptualization of Social Movement Organization], ed. Shakai-undo-ron Kenkyu-kai [Society for Research in Social Movement], Shakai-undo-ron no Sogo wo mezashite [Toward a Synthesis of Social Movement Theories]. Tokyo: Seibun-do, 1990, 149–176.

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  28. A grassroots movement for an alternative life-style in Japan named “Seikatsu-kurabu Seikatsu Kyodo Kumiai” [Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative], and the activities of its members under such slogans as “The World can be seen from the Kitchen,” “Stop being an Accomplice,” “From Collective Purchasing to Total Lifestyle,” “Uniting Consumers and Producers” can be interpreted in their full senses neither from a resource mobilization perspective, nor from a relative deprivation perspective, but I think from the multiple realities perspective. As for the organization and movement of the “Seikatsu Club,” see Josei-tachi no Seikatsu-sha Nettowahku [Women’s Network for the Consumers’ Cooperative Movement],ed. Yoshiyuki Sato. Tokyo: Bunshin-do, 1988, and Josei-tachi no Seikatsu-sha Undo [Women’s Grassroots Movement for an Alternative life],eds. Yoshiyuki Sato, Masako Amano and Hisashi Nasu. Tokyo: Maruju-sha, 1995.

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Nasu, H. (1999). Alfred Schutz’s Conception of Multiple Realities Sociologically Interpreted. In: Embree, L. (eds) Schutzian Social Science. Contributions to Phenomenology, vol 37. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2944-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2944-4_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5334-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2944-4

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